To break into my new neighbours house *THREAD 3: The Final Conundrum*

[Catsos]

I’m really not trying to drag this out 😩 but I seriously need some advice following on from my posts this weekend where my cat (who has a reputation for breaking cat-flaps in the neighbourhood) broke into my new neighbours vacant house while it is being renovated.

Here is the original post if anyone needs more context:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4881905-to-break-into-new-neighbours-house-serious-question-not-trolling

After not being able to get back out the cat-flap he was stuck in there for 48 hours over the bank holiday weekend and then finally released by the builder after various rescue attempts by me.

During that period however some damage occurred to my new neighbours property. I had hoped they would take it all in good spirits as fellow cat owners and we’d laugh about it and be new cat bessie mates but they we’re absolutely seething!!

They have proposed that I pay £1,600!!! for the following:

£800 to replace the rug my cat wee’d on

£400 to replace an area of laminate flooring as apparently the wee has gone into the underlay

I offered to pay £100 for professional rug cleaning, but the wife (who seems very neurotic) says her cats will still be able to smell my cats urine and they don’t want that to stress their cats out when they move them into the new home

£150 for repainting areas of muddy foot prints on the walls where my cat scratched to get out
(again I offered to just wipe them off but the wife insists it is repainted)

£50 to repaint window sils where the crabsticks & icecubes I dropped through the window has damaged the paint

£200 for a new bathroom window vent as I pushed thinly slice honey roasted ham through it

AIBU to think they are being very over the top? I could personally clean/repaint all of these things myself. Should I refuse to pay this amount? I don’t even have this amount available anyway, I would need to get an overdraft.

Can't quite believe people are saying it's the neighbour's fault and by virtue of the fact of it being a cat that Op doesn't need to pay.

Negotiate the amount, but really Op be a decent person.

This

You have a cat that wanders and goes/breaks into other peoples houses and you have no insurance?
Why should they take the hit on their insurance premiums for your cats behaviour esp as he has form for this.
Your cat caused damage and you caused damage in a newly remodelled home.
While the painting costs are high it is prob what they will be charged to fix damage in a newly remodelled home.
The smell will not come out of flooring unless replaced no matter what they clean it with.
The rug will also hold the smell. She is right her cats will smell it long past humans can.
These people are going to be your neighbours for the foreseeable future. Your cat caused the damage ( and you)
I think you are just going to have to suck it up, sort out insurance for your cat and/or make sure your cat doesn’t break into houses again esp theirs!

Don't put ideas into their heads. That'll be n4.

I came on to say what happened with the fucked up cat flap? They need to accept that’s what stopped the cat escaping.

Oh my, haven't see a thread like this for a while. 🤔

Charming, are all cat owners so awful.

That link says that “Cat owners also have a common law duty to take reasonable steps to ensure their cats do not cause damage to someone’s property or cause injury to anyone.”

I’d be more sympathetic to OP if it was the first time her cat had broken in somewhere, but she knows he breaks into houses. And it’s not clear she’s taking any steps to ensure her cat doesn’t damage property.

At the very least not offering to pay for the damage SHE caused is taking the proverbial.

I may have this wrong, but I'm sure I've read that cat owners can't be held liable for the actions of cats because they can't be kept under control in the way that dogs and other animals can. Imo, if you have legal cover under your home insurance OP, it might be worth asking for advice on the point.

I think they should claim on their insurance, personally, after all, that's what it's for. It would be foolish to leave an unoccupied property uninsured.

In any event, imo they are at least partially liable if they had the cat flap set to "in only". It was within their power to prevent cats entering the property, and to permit cats to get out again (assuming your cat didn't actually enter through a locked cat flap by brute force).

As you've got to live next to these people for the foreseeable future, in the interests of neighbourly relations I might offer to pay half the cost of having the rug professionally cleaned, repaint the wall and windowsill and clean and refit the window vent for them. I might consider paying half the cost of replacing the laminate. But I'd also want to offer them sod all because I think they're trying it on!

Your cat sounds fabulous though and I think we need to see a picture of him. I once had a very big cat who headbutted his way through a locked cat flap, but that was only a flimsy cheapo one. That feat earned him the nickname "Shithouse", shortened from Brick Shithouse, because he was built like one.

I agree with you OP that it shouldn’t be costing your £1800 as it’s their fault that the cat was stuck in there in the first place.

Im glad he’s back safe and sound though

I doubt it would be covered on their insurance. Even accidental damage cover usually excludes damage by animals.

😂

YANVU

It would be fair to pay half given that it is partly their fault he was able to get in (assuming cat-flap was already broken.

But also, you lost my sympathy at the wife (who seems very neurotic)

You went on a proper spree wrecking their house, which they’ve been decorating to make brand new. I’d be after you to replace everything as well. Cleaning just won’t cut it. They had brand new until you wrecked it.

I’m assuming you had the money to pay for any treatment they needed, though? Doesn’t sound like OP does - but admittedly I should have been clearer that insurance is fairly basic unless you can afford to self-fund.

They are being rediculous some sugar snap to clean the wall and some paint and giving the rug and floor a good clean should do it. As they have cat's themselves they should be more understanding.

Do not pay for their dangerous catflap, which was clearly either faulty already, or deliberately set up as a cat trap.

Get an overdraft and pay for damages before they sue you. Maybe now you will cat proof your garden.

Where does the new cat flap come in?

You didn't mention that in your OP?

I think £400 is reasonable in the circumstances and if they're not happy with that let them take you to small claims court (they won't).

I'd pay the £1800 and put it all behind me. You were ramming bits of meat into their home's crevices, damaged the cat flap, and your cat has pissed around their house and scratched up their new decor. I wouldn't be happy with your offer of £400 - that isn't enough to get everything sorted without any hassle to me.

Her cat broke the hinges off the cat flap 😂 and she said the cat has a reputation for breaking cat flaps.

So it was probably secure against the average cat

She said her cat has a reputation for breaking open cat flaps.

Ah just seen about the cat flap.

nah tell them they are lucky it wasn’t a small fox trapped inside.

They sound insane! I'd offer to pay £900. Half of their original asking price and go no higher.
Please keep your cat indoors from now on.
You say he has a habit of breaking into cat flaps to steal food.
He is a neighbourhood pest and your neighbours are probably sick of him.
You'll also be doing him a favour as constant overeating can cause diabetes in cats.

A lot of cats break cat flaps in but they can still get out.